Beltrami County
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Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
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Minnesota's location within the U.S.
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| Coordinates: 48°01′N 94°55′W / 48.02°N 94.92°W / 48.02; -94.92 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 28, 1866 (created) 1896 (organized)[1] |
| Named for | Giacomo Constantino Beltrami |
| Seat | Bemidji |
| Largest city | Bemidji |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,056 sq mi (7,920 km2) |
| • Land | 2,505 sq mi (6,490 km2) |
| • Water | 551 sq mi (1,430 km2) 18% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 46,228 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
| 46,718  |
| • Density | 18.6/sq mi (7.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 7th, 8th |
| Website | www |
Beltrami County (/bɛlˈtræmi/ bel-TRAM-ee)[2] is a county in the northern part of the U.S. stateofMinnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,228.[3] Its county seatisBemidji.[4] The county's name comes from Italian adventurer Giacomo Beltrami from Bergamo, who explored the area in 1825. The county was created in 1866 and organized in 1896.[5]
Beltrami County comprises the Bemidji, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows through the southern part of the county, through Bemidji. Beltrami, Renville, and Stearns are Minnesota's only counties that abut nine other counties.
Beltrami County's southwest corner is considered part of the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which flows easterly and northeasterly from Lake Itasca through the southern part of the county. Much of the middle and upper county is taken up with the two sections of Red Lake. The county terrain consists of rolling low tree-covered hills, dotted with lakes and ponds.[6] The terrain slopes to the east and north. Its highest point is a small hill 1.3 miles (2.1 km) northwest of Wolf Lake, at 1,511 ft (461 m) ASL;[7] otherwise the terrain high point is near its southwest corner, at 1,457 ft (444 m) ASL.[8] The county has a total area of 3,056 square miles (7,920 km2), of which 2,505 square miles (6,490 km2) is land and 551 square miles (1,430 km2) (18%) is water.[9] It is the fourth-largest county in Minnesota by area.
U.S. Highway 71
Minnesota State Highway 1
Minnesota State Highway 72
Minnesota State Highway 89
Minnesota State Highway 197| Bemidji, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Bemidji have ranged from a low of −4 °F (−20 °C) in January to a high of 79 °F (26 °C) in July, although a record low of −50 °F (−46 °C) was recorded in January 1950 and a record high of 101 °F (38 °C) was recorded in July 1975. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.59 inches (15 mm) in February to 4.33 inches (110 mm) in July.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 80 | — | |
| 1880 | 10 | −87.5% | |
| 1890 | 312 | 3,020.0% | |
| 1900 | 11,030 | 3,435.3% | |
| 1910 | 19,337 | 75.3% | |
| 1920 | 27,079 | 40.0% | |
| 1930 | 20,707 | −23.5% | |
| 1940 | 26,107 | 26.1% | |
| 1950 | 24,962 | −4.4% | |
| 1960 | 23,425 | −6.2% | |
| 1970 | 26,373 | 12.6% | |
| 1980 | 30,982 | 17.5% | |
| 1990 | 34,384 | 11.0% | |
| 2000 | 39,650 | 15.3% | |
| 2010 | 44,442 | 12.1% | |
| 2020 | 46,228 | 4.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 46,718 | [11] | 1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[3] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 32,445 | 70.2% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 519 | 1.12% |
| Native American (NH) | 9,198 | 20% |
| Asian (NH) | 268 | 0.6% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 15 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 2,675 | 5.8% |
| HispanicorLatino | 1,108 | 2.4% |
As of the census of 2000, there were 39,650 people, 14,337 households, and 9,749 families in the county. The population density was 15.8 per square mile (6.1/km2). There were 16,989 housing units at an average density of 6.78 per square mile (2.62/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.66% White, 0.36% BlackorAfrican American, 20.36% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were HispanicorLatino of any race. 21.6% were of German, 19.7% Norwegian and 5.6% Swedish ancestry. 95.1% spoke English and 2.4% Ojibwa as their first language.
There were 14,337 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.13.
The county population contained 28.70% under the age of 18, 13.90% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,392, and the median income for a family was $40,345. Males had a median income of $30,434 versus $22,045 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,497. About 12.90% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
Over half the children in the county are born out of wedlock. About a third are born to teenaged mothers. The county has about twice the state average in terms of high school dropouts.[17]
Between 1990 and 2005, the county had a suicide rate four times higher than the state.[18] The county exceeds the state and national rates in both violent and property crimes.[19]
From the New Deal realignment in 1932 through 1996, Beltrami County leaned Democratic, selecting the Democratic nominee in every presidential election save Eisenhower's landslides in 1952 and 1956 and Nixon's in 1972. In 2000, George W. Bush became the first Republican to carry the county since 1972. Bush fell short of a majority, with third parties (particularly Green nominee Ralph Nader) doing well statewide, but his 48.5% vote share was higher than any Republican's from 1964 to 1996 save Nixon in 1972 and Reaganin1984. Beltrami returned to the Democratic column in the next three elections, but in 2016, Donald Trump became the second Republican since 1972 to carry the county, winning a bare majority; in 2020, he won it again, but the margin of victory shrank.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
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| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 12,188 | 50.39% | 11,426 | 47.24% | 575 | 2.38% |
| 2016 | 10,783 | 50.00% | 8,688 | 40.29% | 2,093 | 9.71% |
| 2012 | 9,637 | 43.70% | 11,818 | 53.59% | 596 | 2.70% |
| 2008 | 9,762 | 43.90% | 12,019 | 54.05% | 455 | 2.05% |
| 2004 | 10,237 | 48.45% | 10,592 | 50.13% | 302 | 1.43% |
| 2000 | 8,346 | 48.48% | 7,301 | 42.41% | 1,570 | 9.12% |
| 1996 | 5,806 | 36.64% | 8,006 | 50.52% | 2,036 | 12.85% |
| 1992 | 5,204 | 32.55% | 7,210 | 45.10% | 3,573 | 22.35% |
| 1988 | 6,652 | 46.26% | 7,566 | 52.61% | 162 | 1.13% |
| 1984 | 7,414 | 49.43% | 7,481 | 49.88% | 103 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 6,481 | 41.71% | 7,432 | 47.83% | 1,624 | 10.45% |
| 1976 | 5,214 | 39.25% | 7,540 | 56.76% | 531 | 4.00% |
| 1972 | 5,947 | 52.20% | 5,194 | 45.59% | 252 | 2.21% |
| 1968 | 3,912 | 40.90% | 5,034 | 52.63% | 619 | 6.47% |
| 1964 | 3,184 | 34.74% | 5,967 | 65.10% | 15 | 0.16% |
| 1960 | 4,482 | 48.95% | 4,653 | 50.81% | 22 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 3,974 | 50.97% | 3,807 | 48.83% | 16 | 0.21% |
| 1952 | 4,817 | 53.75% | 4,092 | 45.66% | 53 | 0.59% |
| 1948 | 3,126 | 32.63% | 6,020 | 62.84% | 434 | 4.53% |
| 1944 | 2,705 | 32.76% | 5,490 | 66.50% | 61 | 0.74% |
| 1940 | 3,511 | 32.77% | 7,036 | 65.68% | 166 | 1.55% |
| 1936 | 2,182 | 24.36% | 6,507 | 72.65% | 268 | 2.99% |
| 1932 | 2,318 | 32.10% | 4,386 | 60.73% | 518 | 7.17% |
| 1928 | 4,062 | 62.28% | 2,221 | 34.05% | 239 | 3.66% |
| 1924 | 2,960 | 46.22% | 323 | 5.04% | 3,121 | 48.74% |
| 1920 | 4,518 | 61.26% | 1,427 | 19.35% | 1,430 | 19.39% |
| 1916 | 1,331 | 33.04% | 1,912 | 47.47% | 785 | 19.49% |
| 1912 | 490 | 16.20% | 790 | 26.12% | 1,745 | 57.69% |
| 1908 | 1,882 | 63.39% | 648 | 21.83% | 439 | 14.79% |
| 1904 | 1,953 | 82.37% | 234 | 9.87% | 184 | 7.76% |
| 1900 | 1,339 | 62.05% | 767 | 35.54% | 52 | 2.41% |
| 1896 | 202 | 47.98% | 213 | 50.59% | 6 | 1.43% |
| 1892 | 57 | 44.88% | 44 | 34.65% | 26 | 20.47% |
On January 7, 2020, in response to Trump's executive order, the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners voted to prohibit refugees from resettling in the area.[21]
| Position | Name | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Craig Gaasvig | District 1 | |
| Commissioner | Joe Gould | District 2 | |
| Commissioner | Richard Anderson | District 3 | |
| Commissioner | Tim Sumner | District 4 | |
| Commissioner | John Carlson | District 5 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Steve Green [1] | Republican | District 2 | |
| House of Representatives | Matt Grossell [2] | Republican | District 2A | |
| House of Representatives | Matt Bliss [3] | Republican | District 2B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Pete Stauber[23] | Republican | 8th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[24] | Democratic | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[25] | Democratic | N/A | |
School districts include:[26]
Places adjacent to Beltrami County, Minnesota
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Municipalities and communities of Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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48°01′N 94°55′W / 48.02°N 94.92°W / 48.02; -94.92
